Quilter, author, fabric designer, and ...pilot? Sarah Thomas of SARIDITTY sits down with us to discuss her quilting journey, love of EPP, and her new book, "Rainbow Color Quilt Method"!
Tell us a little about yourself! From where did the name SARIDITTY come?
SARIDITTY is a combination of my nicknames growing up. I was Sarah Dittman before being married- my close friends and family always called me Sari (rhymes with cherry), and my high school and college friends always called me Ditty — I was more of a tomboy and also in a male-dominated field in college, so guys doing what guys do, I was often called by my last name, which morphed into "Ditty" to all of them. So when I started doing and making in the quilt world, I decided to combine the two so it was sort of like a "ditty from Sari" or a SariDitty.
We're so excited about your new book! What type of quilter did you have in mind when you wrote this book? What's the skill level like?
Thank you!! I really wanted to appeal to the brand new quilter as well as a seasoned quilter with these patterns. They start off really simple with basic HST and jelly roll patterns then slowly progress into slightly more confident and more intricate piecing methods and techniques. I love that someone who maybe hasn't made a quilt before can start on the first few quilts and gradually build up their skills and comfort levels to progress to the rest of the patterns. And likewise, a seasoned/confident quilter can quickly tackle the first few quilts—maybe to even hone their color combination skills—and dive into the slightly more difficult patterns for something a bit different.
How did you hone your amazing skills for balancing colors and design?
I really have to thank my Gramma Dittman for instilling a sense of art appreciation in me and my sisters when we were young. She was amazing! Her artistic talents were next level. And oddly, I also see color and design as mathematical in my head, and I was the super-nerd who used to love to do extra calculus equations for fun. I can't really explain it, but balancing colors and pattern design just comes easily to me because it's somehow a math equation for me to work out.
I love that you make bold choices in both fabric and design. How would you advise a quilter who wanted to use a neutral palette for your patterns?
Even neutral fabrics have depth to them. From the super washed out tints to the saturated shades of gray/charcoal/brown/etc. Even a white or cream background with a single dark low volume print can transform a neutral into a different tone. Believe it or not, "Sarah" is more of a neutral/low volume/soft kind of gal; while "SARIDITTY" is all about color and loud, explosive pattern design. So when I'm choosing fabrics for my own style, they tend to be calmer and more toned down with white, cream, pale aqua, buttery yellow, black, charcoal, baby pink... The best thing to do is to get a color wheel — my faves are from Joen Wolfrom — and figure out where the neutrals land on the color wheel, and still try to implement the color method and theory of mixing and combining colors that I provide in the first few pages of the book. Just remember...neutrals still are colors and land somewhere on the color wheel...just more toned down and less subtle.
You've got a new fabric line launching with Moda next year: Legendary Love. Can you tell us about the inspiration for it?
I am so excited for this collection!! It honestly came to be thanks to my mother and her collection of Blue Willow chinaware she has for her everyday dishes. I've always loved that pattern, and there are so many variations of it over the years. Mom wants to recover her dining chairs in something that accents her dishes, so I started doodling and came up with the first print of the collection, the lovebirds flying among the cherry blossoms and willow leaves. Then the rest just developed naturally: the iconic Blue Willow "scene" and accent prints of ocean waves, willow leaves, lacey heart-shaped quilty motifs, etc. The palette for this collection is so fun too! Of course, the deep royal blue that is often seen on Blue Willow china with pops of coral and golden yellow...plus gorgeous hues of lilac, aqua/jade, and lime/avocado. I'm so excited for it to be available in March! Pre-Ordering is happening through mid-September, and I've got bundles available to reserve in my shop. Plussssss, one of the highlight patterns is using cutting and paper templates from Paper Pieces!
What's your creative process like for fabric design?
That's so tough to say specifically because I feel like my brain is all over the place when I design. Typically I'll have a brainchild idea of a theme or motif and then embellish from there with different supporting and accent prints plus taking coloring and scale into consideration. It's helpful being a pattern writer and quilter as well, because I tend to understand what "works" and what doesn't when combining fabric prints/colors/size together into quilt blocks and patterns. I also tend to always incorporate some type of "quilty" motif or design somewhere, which ties into my start with this whole quilt world...quilting baby quilts for moms on our Air Force base. When I designed Land of Enchantment—my tribute to New Mexico, which is where I've always felt the most at home—it all started with the hummingbirds and coyotes. After that, I knew I wanted to incorporate popularly-used Talavera tiles, yucca, feathers, and colors that resonated with the area and traditional styling used in homes. With Legendary Love, it started with the lovebirds and morphed from there. And with whatever is next, trust me...it's good! It's truly a "Sarah" collection in so many ways and most definitely not expected I don't think.
How do you keep your work/personal life balance in check?
Oof! Does anyone really keep the two balanced and in check?! Hah! Whatever system I have going seems to work for me and our family life. My husband (MisterDitty, as I refer to him publicly) is both an Air Force National Guard pilot and airline pilot. He's often gone 3-4 days in a row each week, which allows me time to focus on my work for hours on end without feeling too guilty. Granted, I have 3 very needy boxers who demand my attention frequently and 5 acres of land to keep up with, but it's not so tough all in all. I truly love cooking and making from-scratch and homemade meals, so ensuring I have time to make my own pasta and bread and other things forces me to step away from design/art work relatively well. Plus when MisterDitty is home, we do enjoy spending the evenings sitting out on the deck or catching up on our current new-to-us series on TV. I also put a lot of stress on being physically fit, so carving out 1-2 hours each day for a good workout helps in so many positive ways.
It's funny how life takes us down unintended paths- you've gone from commercial pilot to quilt guru!-- what advice would you give your 20 year old self?
Oh my word, I was just saying the other day that it would be hilarious to talk to Young Me about what was in store! Twenty-year-old me was flying in an Air Race from San Diego to Cape Cod in a single engine plane with sights set on being a fancy airline pilot one day. Which I did end up being the corporate pilot for an engineering firm for a few years based in Indianapolis. I never would've guessed I'd end up married to a good college buddy and then dragged all over the country thanks to the Air Force relocating him often. I think I navigated it all fairly well considering everything...but I'd probably tell Young Me to not get discouraged about ending up in a field that has nothing to do with aviation. There are times, even today, when I feel like I've let down my parents or my grandparents for not continuing on with my pilot life. Heck, I even feel like I've cheated myself at times by not pursuing it, but it was just difficult to do so when the military dictated where we lived and for what time periods. I'm thankful I found this world of quilting when I did (during one of our remote and horrendous assignments), and I'm even more thankful that I've built it into what it is now. And all in all, I do love what I'm doing; I love being able to be creative without boundaries; I love being at home with my sweet pups; and I love the opportunity to still travel a bit thanks to quilt shows and teaching classes.
Of course, we want to know about your first EPP project...
I actually get such a kick out of this story! Back in 2018 or so, I was doodling with ideas for fabric and patterning when I came up with my [what is now called] Star Blossom pattern. It seemed like such an easy geometric flower shape with gradual curves that didn't scare me too much. I figured if I could knock this pattern out, then surely anyone could! I had never done EPP other than basic hexies in the past. So I printed out paper shapes to use as my templates and sorta set it on the back burner for a while. This was also around the time I was designing my set of quilting rulers, which are manufactured by Sew Steady. The Lotus & Pebbles ruler was created with this Star Blossom pattern in mind. So as time passed, and my book became a reality, which includes Star Blossom...I quilted it with my Lotus & Pebbles rulers (and my Arc Collection rulers too). It's probably one of my most favorite patterns ever to be honest!! I'm also of the mindset that I want people, including myself, to be able to use and reuse notions and tools for more than one project. I designed and wrote my Talavera Tile EPP pattern to use the exact same templates, but in a different configuration and layout. So now there are TWO quilt tops that can be made with the same set of acrylics! I call that a win for sure! I've loved receiving messages and emails from people showing me how they're making their Star Blossom and Talavera Tile quilts! There is also my Twinkle pattern in my book...it's a SUPER fun EPP pattern with larger-than-normal shapes that essentially make a full block come together quite quickly. I'm working on my second version now and can't wait to get it knocked out!!
Thank you, Sarah, for letting us have this glimpse into your life and mind! We can't wait to get out hands on your new book!